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Hip-Hop On A Higher LevelTue, 31 Mar 2015 21:19:19 +0000en-UShourly1Best Hip-Hop Instagrams of the Dayhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-212/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-212
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-212/#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 23:10:46 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=485209Read more »]]>Instagram was all caught up in the #TIDALforALL announcement today, (March 30). Jay Z unveiled the relaunch of the Scandinavian bred streaming service he acquired from the digital music giant, Aspiro, for $56 million, alongside co-owners Beyonce, J. Cole, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Daft Punk and more. All the artists are joining together for the business venture, which they deem as history in the making. Jay aims for the service to revive the value of music and focus on divvying accurate publishing splits to the creators. Nicki Minaj shared the promo, as well as some fun photos from the event via her social page.

Big Sean uploaded photos from a trip to Tokyo with his mom. The rapper took her on a tour of a temple. The outing appeared to be fun times for the duo. “Took Mom to the Golden Pavilion Temple in Kyoto! I think she was trying to tell me something but it look like she throwin her hood up, lol. She got her Lion Chain on reppin too,” Sean jokingly captioned the photo.

Justin Bieber threw up pics from a fun night in MIA with Meek Mill and his lady, Nicki M. “Late nights in Miami,” wrote Justin under the flick, in what appeared to be a club setting.

At just 19 years old, the rapper inked a deal with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music imprint in 2007 and has been unstoppable ever since. After releasing several highly acclaimed mixtapes, Sean released his debut album Finally Famous in 2011, then dropped his sophomore LP Hall Of Fame in 2013. Over the course of his career, the don has acquired a number of awards and sold over $10 million singles. Sean has collabed with Drake, Young Jeezy and Kanye West.

Sean’s biggest look to date has been the release of his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise, which dropped in February 2015.

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/happy-birthday-big-sean/feed/013 Rappers Who Have Been on News Shows This Yearhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/13-rappers-news-shows-cnn-nightly-show-daily-show-larry-king-now/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=13-rappers-news-shows-cnn-nightly-show-daily-show-larry-king-now
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/13-rappers-news-shows-cnn-nightly-show-daily-show-larry-king-now/#commentsThu, 19 Mar 2015 18:46:45 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=483102Read more »]]>

This year there have been a lot of rappers visiting news stations or nightly news discussions. Most recently, Trinidad Jame$ was on Don Lemon’s CNN Tonight on Monday March 16 and spoke on the use of the n-word in pop culture and its affect on society. Before that, Waka Flocka Flame was a guest on the show and discussed why he canceled his University of Oklahoma appearance with senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar. There has been plenty of other examples this year. Here’s 13 rappers who have been on popular news shows.

CNN

Trinidad Jame$ discusses the use of the n-word.

Waka Flocka Flame discusses SAE Racist Chant.

Tiny Doo on his court case.

Chance The Rapper talks about balancing fame and loss

2 Chainz Battles Nancy Grace over Pot.

Tavis Smiley Show

J. Cole touched on the importance of reading, the relative failures of the American school system, how he prefers to tell stories through his raps rather than battling other artists and recording music and how he came to title his last album 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

With 130,000 sold, the soundtrack for Fox TV’s breakout hit series Empire is the No. 1 album on the Billboard200 chart. The 130,000 albums sold beat out Madonna’s new Rebel Heart album, which sold 121,000 units. Pure album sales comprised 84 percent of Empire’s first week, which is about 110,000 copies sold. This is the first season of Empire. The soundtrack’s first-week sale forecast was originally projected to move 25,000 units. That quickly changed to around 125,000 on March 11, the day after it went on sale. Just like its sale forecast, the popularity of the show has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks.

Ariana Grande treated the Detroit crowd on her Honeymoon Tour to some home-cooking, last nigth, bringing out her boo Big Sean. Grande performed at the Joe Louis Arena on Saturday (March 7) night to a packed out crowd. During her set, Big, rocking a crispy pair of Yeezy Boost 750s, hit the stage and the couple performed their duet ‘Best Mistake’ from her album My Everything. He later returned to give the crowd ‘Right There,’ off Grande’s 2013 LP Yours Truly. Before leaving the stage two engaged in a sweet embrace and kissed in front of the raucous crowd. “Make some noise for my girl Ariana Grande, y’all!,” said Sean before disappearing backstage.

Big Sean, whose recently released LP Dark Sky Paradise landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 after it’s first week on shelves, is prepping for his own tour which starts later in the week. The G.O.O.D. Music rapper is planning to hit up 25 locations including spots in North America, The Caribbean, Europe and Asia. The first leg will run through the end of May, concluding May 24, in Shakopee, Minnesota. The final performance will be at Soundset 2015 and will also feature J. Cole, Ice Cube and Atmosphere.

Big Sean is hitting the road to promote his new album Dark Sky Paradise with a spring tour. The G.O.O.D. Music rapper recently took to his Instagram account to announce the traveling show and reveal the dates. “1st run of shows I’m doing before the summer. Tickets available at uknowbigsean.com/tour More dates to come!,” he typed in the caption. B-I-G will be starting his jaunt next week in Cancun, Mexico. So far, he is slated to hit up 25 locations including spots in North America, The Caribbean, Europe and Asia. The first leg will run through the end of May, concluding May 24, in Shakopee, Minnesota. The final performance will be at Soundset 2015 and will also feature J. Cole, Ice Cube and Atmosphere.

Sean is riding high after his new album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The LP moved 173,000 albums in its first week on shelves marking the highest first week sales in the G.O.O.D Music MC’s career. In 2011, his debut album Finally Famous, sold 87,000 in its first week and came in at No. 3. In 2013, his second album Hall of Fame, sold 72,000 and also came in at No. 3 in its opening week. The new project even received a bunch of love from other hip-hop artists. Peep the video for Sean’s latest single “Blessings” featuring Drake and Kanye West, here.

With 173,000 units sold, Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise becomes his first No. 1 album on the Billboard200 chart. The 173,000 albums sold are also the highest first week sales in the G.O.O.D Music MC’s career. Pure album sales comprised 81 percent of Dark Sky Paradise’s first week, which is about 139,000 copies sold. In 2011, his debut album Finally Famous, sold 87,000 in its first week and came in at No. 3. In 2013, his second album Hall of Fame, sold 72,000 and also came in at No. 3 in its opening week. Dark Sky Paradise joins Common’s Finding Forever and Kanye West’s Yeezus as the only three G.O.O.D Music albums to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late dropped two spots to No. 4 and has no sold 683,000 copies to date. Last week, the project became the first Gold release of 2015. Along with Dark Sky Paradise, Chris Brown and Tyga’s collab project Fan Of A Fansold 67,000 in its first week and debuted at No. 7.

Elsewhere on the charts, Nicki Minaj’s The Pinkprint fell two spots to No. 11, J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive slipped seven places to No. 23, Rae Sremmurd dropped from No. 30 to No. 36 and Eminem’s The Eminem Show appeared back on the charts at No. 50.

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/big-seans-dark-sky-paradise-debuts-1-weeks-album-sales-342015/feed/0Vic Mensa Debuts New Song With Kanye West in Londonhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/kanye-west-vic-mensa-new-song-surprise-concert-london-koko/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kanye-west-vic-mensa-new-song-surprise-concert-london-koko
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/03/kanye-west-vic-mensa-new-song-surprise-concert-london-koko/#commentsWed, 04 Mar 2015 15:41:30 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=479663Read more »]]>

A video posted by stefanponce (@stefanponce) on Mar 3, 2015 at 6:08pm PST

Vic Mensa debuted a new song with Kanye West at a surprise show in the UK last night (Mar. 3). The song is reportedly off his debut album and produced by Stefan Ponce, Smoke Ono, and D. Phelps. The surprise performance took place at KOKO in London. Tickets sold out in a matter of minutes after the show was announced. Those who were lucky enough to get in were blessed with performances by Raekown, Big Sean, Skepta and CyHi the Prynce. ’Ye brought his protege Big Sean on stage for “IDFWU.” Vic Mensa came out for “Wolves,” and then Raekwon, Skepta, JME, and Cyhi the Prynce for “So Appalled,” shutting KOKO down. Fans caught footage of the concert, including the new song for Mensa (check out that clip above).

Hopefully Yeezy brings a show like this back home, as he currently on a roll with new music. He just dropped his banging new track “All Day,” which had some pretty cool artwork. The dark visual for Sean’s collab single “Blessings” featuring ‘Ye and Drake was released yesterday. Excitement continues to build up as we await Kanye West’s upcoming album So Help Me God. So far, Yeezy has delivered with “Only One” and his Rihanna collab, “FourFiveSeconds.” According to Theophilus London, we can expect a lot more cool songs from So Help Me God. There is no release date for So Help Me God but fans can pray that it comes sooner rather than later.

Yeezy also gave a very passionate lecture at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in Great Britain. You can read the transcript from that speech here. Watch the concert footage below.

When two rappers who are dominating the charts–and one who promises to do so in the immediate future–team up for a video, you might expect block parties, strip clubs, car shows, crowded green rooms. Not for “Blessings.” Big Sean tapped Drake and Kanye West for the video, uniting three of the dominant commercial forces in rap. (Drake’s surprise release, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, is doing Spiderman numbers on Billboard right now.) Meant as promotion for Sean’s just-released third studio effort, Dark Sky Paradise, the video is actually not for the album version of the song; when “Blessings” was released as a single, Sean’s longtime mentor and G.O.O.D. Music boss, Kanye, jumped at the chance to tag a verse on the end. He shows face here, rapping about condoms and Snapchat as genre-defining artists are wont to do. The three spend the five-plus minutes of the clip slinking and brooding through a black-and-white fog, perfectly in line with Sean’s album rollout.

Dark Sky has seen strong early returns from both retailers and critics. “Blessings” was preceded by “IDFWU,” the undeniable E-40-featuring, DJ Mustard-produced cut that rattled speakers and gossip blogs this winter. Sean will be performing at Minnesota’a Soundset festival this May, alongside J. Cole, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Ice Cube, Chester Watson and a host of others.

Big Sean sat down with NPR’s Microphone Check to discuss his new album Dark Sky Paradise, following his gut, and more. Listen to his interview below.

Festival season is creepin on the come up as February turns to March and Soundset has unveiled its lineup for the 2015 edition of the festival. Hosted by Sway, St. Paul Slim and J. Pratt at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, the eighth edition of the festival will feature a who’s-who list of artists and performers. Set to make appearances are Atmosphere, J. Cole, Ice Cube, Big Sean, Ludacris, Logic, Yelawolf, Dilated Peoples, Clockwork Indigo, Vic Mensa, Snif-N-Wessun and many more. Along with these performances on four different stages, there will be B-Boy battles, live DJs, artists painting live, skateboard demos and a custom car show. Scheduled for Sunday May 24, tickets go on sale on Saturday, Mar. 7 via Ticketweb. For more information, visit SoundsetFestival.com.

Big Sean finally fesses up to a personal problem he’s been plagued with for years; no matter what he does or how tired he is, he can’t yawn. In this hilarious Funny Or Die clip, Sean professes that he doesn’t wake up everyday with a yawn like most people. Instead, the Dark Sky Paradise rapper starts the day by shedding a tear. In the confessional, Sean comes clean about his frustrations about not being able to yawn and that “IDFWU” was originally called “I Don’t Fuck With Yawns.” Check out the vid above for a good afternoon laugh.

The Detroit MC has had a big week after dropping his third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise, on Tuesday. Already drawing strong reviews from the media and his fellow rappers, Dark Sky Paradise may be his best work to date. To celebrate the release, Sean flew around the country with MTV to greet fans and was asked whether or not he was dissing Kendrick Lamar on his “Me, Myself & I (Freestyle).” “It ain’t even a diss to no rapper,” Sean said, “it’s a diss to how people think, and they perception.” The line in question from Sean’s freestyle was “Well, can he really spit? Or do he just hide behind these skits like half of these rappers do?” which had listeners wondering if he was taking a shot at Kendrick’s skit-heavy good kid m.A.A.d city album.

Today, Feb. 27, Liles celebrates his birthday. Thanks to his hard work and industry power moves, he’s been toasting to the good life for a while now.

Liles was the President of Def Jam Recordings and executive VP of Island Def Jam from 1999 to 2004, fostering the careers of some of the biggest names in music. As the umbrella label of Disturbing Tha Peace, Roc-A-Fella and GOOD Music, Liles has had a part in making Ludacris, Jay Z and Kanye West (and many more) who they are today.

After Def Jam, Liles moved on to Warner Music Group where he helped take the company public, serving as executive VP to Cohen Lyor until 2009 when he stepped down for personal business ventures.

Liles now splits his time between his own artist management company, KWL Management, his technology apps, his charitable work and 300 Entertainment. He was most recently spotted taking part in last December’s Millions March NYC protest.

With Big Sean’s third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise, hitting shelves this week, the Detroit rapper has found himself the topic of much chatter on the rap internet. Yet, while the album is expected to make a strong commercial showing in its first week, just as with 2013′s Hall Of Fame, Sean’s record is once again overshadowed by a song that isn’t on the final tracklist. And just as it was when “Control” became the most bandied-about song in the hip-hop world, at the center of the discussion is Kendrick Lamar. Sitting down with MTV, the “Clique” rapper promised that his barbs on his “Me, Myself & I” freestyle weren’t aimed at anyone in particular–and certainly not Lamar.

“It ain’t even a diss to no rapper,” Sean said, “it’s a diss to how people think, and they perception.” Lamenting that fans often focus on the non-musical minutiae and identity politics of hip-hop, he says he meant to pose a general question: can these guys rap? The bars in question, of course, include the question, “Well, can he really spit? Or do he just hide behind these skits like half of these rappers do?” Some interpreted this as a shot at Lamar, who’s major label debut, 2012′s good kid, m.A.A.d. city, employed the device to an extent uncommon for modern commercial releases. good kid was a critical darling, hailed as a classic by huge factions of rap fans immediately after its release. Sean and Lamar have worked together on the aforementioned “Control.”

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-says-wasnt-dissing-kendrick-lamar-freestyle/feed/0Big Sean Thinks That Political Beef is More Violent Than Rap Beefhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-thinks-political-beef-more-violent-than-rap-beef/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=big-sean-thinks-political-beef-more-violent-than-rap-beef
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This Monday (Feb. 23), Big Sean continued the promotional run for his new Dark Sky Paradise with a stop at Larry Wilmore’s new Comedy Central talk program, The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. Brought onto the show’s panel ostensibly to discuss former New York Mayor and perpetual Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani’s suggestion that President Barack Obama doesn’t love America. Sean delivered the barb of the night, telling Wilmore that he believes “political beef is a a little more violent” than rap beef, a statement that the panel found sadly inarguable. Surprisingly, Sean had an optimistic view of his native Detroit: “My people have been getting way more jobs,” he said. “It was at one point where they didn’t have jobs. Now the city is thriving.”

Dark Sky Paradise is Sean’s third studio album, following the releases of Finally Famous and Hall Of Fame in 2011 and 2013, respectively. In addition to the DJ Mustard-produced, E-40-featuring hit “IDFWU,” Dark Sky features a litany of high-profile guests, shoehorning Drake, Lil Wayne, Jhene Aiko, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign and longtime mentor Kanye West into the lean 50-minute running time. As its title would suggest, the record marks a departure for Sean, who explores the murkier corners of his life and psyche for the first time on wax.

You can watch the episode in question here. For a clearer look into Big Sean’s life, check out Max Bell’s profile from the latest print edition of XXL.

Big Sean has a message for everyone out there who says he has changed: Got a problem? Call me direct. On the ‘Outro’ to Big Sean’s new album Dark Sky Paradise, Sean channeled his inner Mike Jones and Bodega Bamz by giving out his personal phone number. “Niggas say I changed, how they damn, how they do / Say I’m hard to get in contact with, oh, is that true? / Well what about now? 3-1-3-5-1-5-8-7-7-2, bitch, call me,” raps Sean on the DJ Dahi-produced track.

“It’s been ringing so much that I tried to call it and it don’t go through,” Sean told MTV News. “I get so much texts and calls but I’ma keep that phone on for as long as I can. [I gave the number out] so people can get in touch with me. I’ve been answering a lot of calls and texting people back and following people. That’s a direct connection, you have my phone number. Niggas tryin’ to see I changed and all this stuff, man, like, here’s my fuckin’ number, man. My real phone number.”

Got something to say to Sean? Give him a shout and tell him how you really feel before the phone gets shut off.

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-gives-phone-number-dark-sky-paradise/feed/0Big Sean Drops the Album Fans Wanted With ‘Dark Sky Paradise’http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/reviews/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-review
http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/reviews/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-review/#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 16:00:28 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=478153Read more »]]>If heartbreak creates the best art, then Big Sean had the perfect platform to deliver his own version of 808s & Heartbreak. But life throws curveballs, and six months after breaking off his engagement to Naya Rivera Sean found himself back on his feet with new love Ariana Grande and an album full of emotional roller coasters, indignant boasts, clever punchlines and his trademark bravado that stands far and away as his best work yet.

Dark Sky Paradise is Sean’s third album for Def Jam, which means he’s reached that defining point in an artist’s career when it’s truly make or break time. Not that Sean was facing such extremes—his standing in the rap game means that he wouldn’t have disappeared had this album flopped—but he was facing a crossroads of a sort, caught between the potential for which he had shown flashes and the reality that he had largely underwhelmed on 2013′s Hall Of Fame. In that sense, Dark Sky Paradise is the album that Sean fans have been waiting for since “My Last” first soared up the Billboard charts in early 2011. If Hall Of Fame finally closed the book on his Finally Famous chapter, Dark Sky Paradise marks his biggest step yet in turning that mainstream fame into widespread critical praise.

Sean set the tone last September by releasing four tracks at once, with “I Don’t Fuck With You” the breakaway success from the quartet. Its vindictive, bitter hook represented a different perspective for the Detroit MC, shifting the balance of power towards himself rather than the women of previous cuts “Beware” or “MILF.” The shift in narrative is found throughout Dark Sky Paradise on cuts like “Stay Down” and “Play No Games” with Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign in addition to the extended version of “Paradise,” also released in September. “All Your Fault” with Kanye West is the standout track among many other deserving candidates, with ‘Ye and Sean trading lines back and forth with the bravado and confidence of a Watch The Throne cut (and the beat is one of Yeezy’s best), while Drake’s hook on “Blessings” is destined to ring out in clubs for months.

Sean warned that the album would be “darker” and more “intense” than his previous efforts, and those are the tracks that give Dark Sky Paradise a dimension that he’s rarely, if ever, explored before on record. Both songs with Jhene Aiko, “Win Some, Lose Some” and “I Know,” explore the underside of the celebrity Sean so enthusiastically chased earlier in his career. The former is a self-examination of the sacrifices that come with fame, whether they be reduced time for family and friends or the decisions that are made in a moment that have lasting repercussions. The latter is a moody reflection on a relationship gone astray from the perspective of a long lost friend offering a helping hand, again spinning the narrative around in a way that sets it apart from a regular heartsick love song.

The album as a whole builds up rather than winds down, with two of the most poignant records, “Deep” with Lil Wayne and “One Man Can Change The World” with John Legend and Kanye West, standing alone as some of the best work Big Sean has ever done. “One Man” in particular, which deals with the loss of his grandmother and his acceptance of her passing, really underlines what the entire work is about: dealing with the ups and downs in life and figuring out the best way to accept them and move forward. With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has finally found that balance. —Dan Rys

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/reviews/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-review/feed/0Best Hip-Hop Instagrams of the Dayhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-192/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-192
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-192/#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 01:25:48 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=478083Read more »]]>Instagram was full of commotion because of all the new releases today, (Feb. 24). Big Sean, Chris Brown and Tyga all dropped projects, with Sean unveiling Dark Sky Paradise, and the famed besties releasing Fan Of A Fan.

Ariana Grande shouted out her beau Big Sean on IG. Along with proclaiming his project’s release, Grande got a little mushy writing an invested comment. “Play No Games” is one of my favorites off the album but this whole album is beyond incredible,” she captioned. “Every song, start to finish. i love uuuuu and i’m so excited for you @bigsean. you put absolutely everything into this and deserve all the beautiful things in the world #waaayup #blessed.”

Chris Brown and Tyga popped up on the social site letting fans know to go cop their LP. Soulja Boy, Yo Gotti and others also supported by posting the album cover.

The Game took time to give followers hope, by sharing valued advice. In a post that read “Struggle Is Strength,” the rapper captioned,”I know it all too well.”

Joe Budden also enjoyed everyone’s favorite cookie, while August Alsina performed in London.

A photo posted by joebudden (@joebudden) on Feb 24, 2015 at 4:32pm PST

]]>http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/best-hip-hop-instagrams-day-192/feed/0Hip-Hop Shows Love for Big Sean’s ‘Dark Sky Paradise’ Albumhttp://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-album-rollout/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-album-rollout
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-album-rollout/#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 21:01:47 +0000http://www.xxlmag.com/?p=477954Read more »]]>Big Sean’s third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise is officially here. After only a month of promo and a handful of anticipation-building singles, the G.O.O.D Music golden boy has delivered his latest work in-full for mass consumption. And so far, hip-hop is loving Sean’s new sound.

It’s kind of like the under dog scoring the winning touchdown. Big Sean has proven his lyricism has only gotten better on Dark Sky Paradise, so it makes sense that the entire home team, and even some rivals, want to back him up. Here are a handful of fellow artists who’ve been singing his praises for Dark Sky Paradise.